Similarities Between The Absolute True Diary Of A Part Time Indian And Catcher In The Rye

Facing your problems is better than running away from them. The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian and Catcher in the Rye are about teenage characters who feel like an outsider with many problems in the process. Both characters expresses it in their own ways. Both Junior of The Absolute True Diary of a Part time Indian and Holden of Catcher in the Rye feel like outsiders, but Holden is running away from his past whereas Junior is running towards his future. Both characters have a similar problem but come from two different places. Junior feels as if something is missing in his life so Junior is walking towards a better life. Holden doesn’t feel that people understand what he is going through, so he is walking away from all the problems …show more content…
Holden has been to more private schools than he can count. He never can seem to fit in anywhere. All of the private schools he has attended have always ended up with him getting kicked out or leaving on his own. While visiting Old Spencer after flunking out of Pencey, Holden states, “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies[…] It makes me so depressed I go crazy. I hated that goddam Elkton Hills” (Salinger 8). Although Holden did fail Pencey, he did not get expelled from Elkton Hills. He says he “just quit sorta” (7). It wasn’t because he wasn’t trying at school, it was because the people surrounding him always seemed to be lying and faking about everything. Mr. Haas, the headmasters at Elkton Hills, was one of the worst phonies. He would only be interested in talking to those who seemed normal. If one’s parents we’re a little different, Mr. Haas would fake a smile and keep walking. This is important because you can see that Holden believes that those who are phonies are lying to people about who they really are. This is the reason Holden feels he is not like everyone else. However, Junior has experienced his whole life on the reservation with the struggle of no change. Everything has always been the same for Junior and it frustrates him. Including the textbooks that they got in geometry: “Agnes Adams is my mother. So that means my …show more content…
He never seems to believe that he belongs anywhere. After attending Pencey, Holden chooses to run away from his old life in search of a feeling like he belongs. Holden gets kicked out of Pencey and eventually has to leave. Holden decides to leave a few days early in the middle of the night. He mentions he feels depressed multiple times and concludes he needs to run away. He meets many people on his trip including Sally, a friend at his old school. He meets up with her on a date and starts to ask her questions: “ ‘I mean do you like school, and all that stuff?’ I ask. ‘It's a terrific bore.’ she says. ‘I mean do you hate it? I know it's a terrific bore, but do you hate it, is what I mean.’ [...] ’Well, I hate it. Boy, do I hate it" (Salinger 70). Holden has always hated school and never seems to feel comfortable anywhere. He seems confused as to why Sally and others don’t feel the same way he does. Holden hates how is life is at the moment and no one seems to feel similar to him. This causes Holden to feel detached from society. Holden also interacts with Old Luce, an acquaintance of his, to make Holden question what he really needs: “ ‘For God's sake. I told you the last time I saw you what you need.’ Old Luce says. ‘You mean to go to a psychoanalyst and all?’ I said [...] ‘It's up to you, for God's sake. It's none of my goddamn business what you do with your life.’ I didn't say anything for